The Girl He Once Knew
by GreenField
Summary: When Luna and Neville first got together,everything was great. Neville was on the brink of proposing when everything suddenly went very,very wrong and Rolf arrived in Luna's world.Fifteen years later,a lot of things are still unresolved.Luna needs Neville back in her life,but he just wants to know why she ever ver image by ggns, DeviantArt.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi. I am completely starting this against my better judgement, but it came to me the other night because it really bugs me that Luna married someone other than Neville. I just can't picture them with other people. So here goes...please review and please forgive me for starting yet another one that will take me forever to finish!**

"Neville?"

It's a voice that Professor Neville Longbottom hasn't heard in a long time. He can remember the last time, but it was so long ago now that the memory is beginning to blur. He thinks he might be imagining it – he didn't get much sleep last night and is a little dazed right now due to an attack from a Venomous Tentacula. But when he turns, slowly tugging off the gloves he wears to protect his hands – being a Herbology Professor is no simpleton's job, you know – there she is.

She doesn't look any older than the girl he fell in love with during Fifth Year. Her hair, wild and dirty blonde, is held back with a pin that makes her look much more severe. No crazy multicoloured jumpers and radish earrings for her now, either. Oh no. She's wearing a pale pink cashmere sweater, chalky grey pencil skirt and flats with little bows on them. The only jewellery she wears now is a golden wedding ring, which Neville quickly averts his eyes from.

"Luna" it's the first time he's said her name in years; he loves tasting the name on his tongue again, though he knows he shouldn't. Her huge, smoky blue eyes look sad. They never used to be like that, he thinks. Not when I was with her.

"What are you doing here?" he asks at last.

"Lorcan and Lysander got into a bit of trouble" her voice is different too; brittle and careful rather than misty and vague, "I thought I might use the opportunity to come and...see you"

Oh yes, her boys. Twins, and both of them the spitting image of their mother. He prefers Lysander; he's much quieter than Lorcan and listens in class, even if he does often have a vague look in his eyes. But that look reminds him of Luna. Maybe that's the real reason he prefers Lysander.

"Why now, after all this time?" he doesn't let his voice soften; doesn't run to her and hold her like he wants too. She wraps her arms around her skinny frame, as if wishing he would. She never used to be that scrawny, either.

"I – I don't know" a pause, which he fills.

"You look different"

"Do I?" she smiles vaguely, "I suppose I am" she moves a little bit closer to him, "Do you miss me, Neville?"

He wants to lie, but he can't quite manage it, "Sometimes"

"I'm sorry, you know"

"Too late to apologise"

"I know. But I am. Sorry, that is. I think about it a lot"

"I try not to"

"Too painful?" she sounds slightly hopeful. Neville shrugs.

"It makes me too angry"

The smile falls from her pale lips, "I didn't want to make you angry"

"You did, though. There's nothing I can do to change that" he turns his back to her, "Just go, Luna. You shouldn't be here"

He feels her hand gently on his arm, so soft and sudden that it is as though a butterfly has landed there. She draws away quickly, but that one touch is enough to make him giddy. It always was.

"I know I shouldn't be. I just wanted to remember for a minute"

"Remember what?"

"Remember what we had"

And then she is gone, her voice trailing on the mist.


	2. The Beginning

**A/N: Hi! Thank so much for the review, though I'd love a few more! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

_Once upon a time, I believe it was a Tuesday  
When I caught your eye  
And we caught onto something, I hold on to the night  
You looked me in the eye and told me you loved me – Forever and Always, Taylor Swift._

**FIFTEEN YEARS EARLIER**

Neville looks at her across the table. He didn't think he'd be able to come back and finish his final year at Hogwarts, none of them did – but McGonagall insisted that if the teachers were still willing to teach and the students were willing to put up with all the rebuilding going on around them, then teaching should continue as normal.

He wasn't expecting to see Harry, Ron and Hermione there either, but there they were; though Neville did get the feeling that Hermione had pushed them into returning.

Luna sits with them now, even though she isn't in their house or their year -but all the younger students seem to have returned in droves, ready to continue, probably encouraged by relieved parents. Neville privately thought that, had he had children, he wouldn't have wanted to let them out of his sight. Not ever again. But maybe that's just him being sentimental.

"Have you told her yet?" Harry asks him this every day since their return, and he squirms with embarrassment every time he has to admit that he hasn't. It's alright for Harry and Ron – Hermione and Ron have finally got together, much to everyone's relief, and Harry and Ginny have rekindled their earlier romance. He had thought that maybe everything he had gone through the past few years would have made him better at telling her, stronger, but it hadn't. Strange how he could look Voldemort right in the eyes and tell him that he'd die rather than become a Death Eater, but now he can't look Luna in the eyes and tell her that he'd die for her. Weird. Unfair. Stupid.

"No" Neville mumbles, as he mumbles every morning, and Harry looks stern and disapproving, though a mischievous light sparkles in his eyes. Neville looks back down at his breakfast, stirring the porridge with uncomfortable distaste.

"Enough is enough" says Ginny from Harry's right, voice low, "I'll sort it out for you"

"Ginny, no – " he pleads, but she is shaking her head and smiling, and Luna is looking at him in puzzlement.

"What are you whispering about?" she asks cheerfully, not offended by the fact that she has not been included.

"Nothing" says Neville quickly. Luna smiles thoughtfully.

"You know, people say that a lot, I've noticed, even though it's quite impossible to be talking about nothing. Unless you're talking about the word nothing, but that would be rather dull, I expect" she is musing quite happily to herself, but Neville listens to her every word. She looks surprised to find that he is listening.

"You don't have to listen to what I say just because we're friends" she says, as though consoling him, "I don't mind"

"I like listening to you" says Neville at last. Her surprise increases.

"Do you?" an incredulous smile, "I like listening to you, too"

* * *

Neville knows it is a set up. Luna, however, thinks with some alarm and a pleasant warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that Hermione and Ginny have invited her to what they call 'a girl's night in'. Luna has never been to such an event before, but she expects that they will talk until the early hours while eating lots of chocolate and ice cream. At least, this is the impression she gets.

But when she makes her way to the common room at midnight, she is not greeted by Ginny and Hermione as she anticipated. She is greeted by Neville, who looks awkward and nervous and is watching the leaping flames of the fire in the grate.

Luna is wearing her pyjamas, because she thought that was appropriate. She folds her arms across her chest. Neville looks up at her and smiles.

"Sorry we had to trick you. I did tell Ginny it wasn't fair"

"Oh, people trick me all the time. I don't mind" she still looks suspicious as she sits down next to him, "Why did you have to trick me? You know I like talking to you. I would have come anyway"

"You would?" Neville looks pleased, "They thought it would be easier for me to talk to you, properly, if we were set up"

"How odd" Luna says lightly, but her chest feels tight and she isn't quite sure why. Just like the way she felt the warmth in her belly before – these aren't things she can remember feeling previously. Neville watches as the radish earring sways slightly against her neck.

"There's something I need to tell you, Luna" he says, palms sweating, throat dry, "Something really important"

"Really?" once again, the light tone of voice hides how excited she really is. She fiddles with her hair.

"I wanted to tell you after the battle, but there were so many people and things just seemed so hectic. But I was worried I wouldn't see you again, though I didn't need to worry, did I, because we're both here now...Sorry, I don't mean to ramble"

"That's alright. I've found that people say the most interesting things when they ramble" her eyes sparkle.

"Have you? I suppose they do. What I mean to say -what I've been meaning to say for a long time – I – "

Luna knows what he is going to say, and she suddenly realises that she doesn't want to wait for him to say it. In typical Luna fashion, she launches herself across the seat and into his arms, pressing her lips to his. Neville, at first frozen in shock, soon responds. When she pulls back to look at him with those lovely smoky blue eyes, they are both grinning.

"I wanted to tell you that I love you" Neville finally blurts out. Luna's cheeks flush pink, the first time she has ever blushed.

"I love you too" she replies, and kisses him once again.


	3. Plans

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this in such a long time, I will try to be a bit more frequent. Thank you so much for the reviews -please continue to review and thank you for reading! The time periods are going to dip round a bit – I've put twelve years earlier but that means 12 years before the PROLOGUE. So three years after the last chapter. Thought I should clear that up **

_I hope we always feel this way  
I know we will  
And in my heart I know that you'll always stay_

_Oh, I just can't get enough_  
_How much do I need to fill me up?_  
_It feels so good, it must be love – You Got Me, Colbie Caillat._

**12 YEARS EARLIER**

Neville stares at the little black box in his hand with a smile on his face. A ring, gold with a sapphire at the centre, sits inside the silk lining, cradled like a bird in a nest. He thinks that the sapphire will bring out the blue in Luna's eyes. It's more simple than what she normally wears, but he hopes she'll like it all the same.

He snaps the box shut as he hears her key in the lock and stuffs it into the sock draw. Trying to look nonchalant, he strolls into the living room of their small but cosy flat with a grin on his face.

"I thought you'd be back soon. Good day?"

Luna smiles, the vague smile that he so loves, "Yes. And yours?"

"I had my first lot of Second Years today"

Her eyes brighten with interest, "Great! How did it go?"

She moves to the kitchen, boiling the kettle to make the tea infused with Gurdyroots that Neville used to despise but now loves. He watches her as she clatters around, the stripy knitted dress that she wears stretching with her body to show the dipped hem and ragged edges. He loves the fact that she doesn't care how she dresses.

"It was okay. I think I established a relationship with a few of them, and they were well-behaved, even if not all of them are gifted Herbologists"

"That _is_ good news" she pours him a cup of the strong drink, "I had something interesting happen to me today"

Neville grins, already amused as they move towards the dilapidated sofa in the living room. They aren't rich, but they're saving up to do a tour of the world, looking for all the animals that Luna believes exist and all the plants that Neville wants samples of. The saving isn't going great, but it's started. Neville loves Luna's stories from work. She works in the Care of Magical Creatures department at the Ministry, and she's always got a funny tale or two to tell. Today, though, she looks serious.

"Go on" Neville prompts, throwing her the box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans that is steadily running out due to it's proximity to the sofa. She takes one, and grimaces when she puts it in her mouth without telling him what flavour it is.

"They need someone to go to Germany, for a convention of rare magical creatures. It's a month-long trip, but they know how interested I am in the topic and they offered the job to me. I'll have a pay rise this month, too" she looks doubtful, "What do you think?"

"I think it sounds perfect for you! And we can contribute the money to the tour fund. I'm sure I can get some time off work"

"There's only one ticket. They can only afford to send one person, apparently. I already asked" she hesitates, "I don't have to go"

Neville hides the sinking feeling in his chest that comes with the thought of being without Luna with a smile, "Of course you do. I know you want to go"

"I do. I don't want you to resent me for going, though"

"I won't! Luna, it's a great opportunity for you"

"But I don't want you to be unhappy"

"I'll be just fine. Anyway, it's only a month. That's not too long. We may have to get one of those Muggle contraptions, though"

"What, mobile phones?" Luna wrinkles her nose, "We can just send Patronuses"

"Yes, and make ourselves look completely ridiculous. I'll go out and buy us some tomorrow. When do you leave?"

Luna bites at her lips, fingers fiddling with her radish earrings, "That's the other thing. Tomorrow night"

"Oh" Neville tries to hide his disappointment, "Disapparating from the Ministry?"

"Yes" she leans towards him and kisses his cheek, "Thank you for letting me go, Neville. I'm going to miss you"

"It's not long" Neville repeats with forced cheer, "We can manage"

She kisses him again and leaves the room to get changed into her pyjamas. Neville's heart sinks as he recalls the fact that he was going to take Luna out tomorrow night, and propose to her at long last.

Sighing, he resigns himself to the fact that his romantically planned proposal dinner is going to go completely to waste.


	4. Berlin

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for the reviews, they made me very happy! I'm also sorry there are such big gaps between updates in this story so please forgive me and please review again. Thanks for reading!**

_I want adventure in the great wide somewhere,_

_I want it more than I can tell._

_And for once it might be grand_

_To have someone understand_

_I want so much more than they've got planned – Belle reprise, Beauty and the Beast._

Luna drags the roll-along suitcase across the floor of the Ministry of Magic, wheels rattling on the sleek marble floor. People look at her, wondering where she is going. The Ministry has always reminded Luna of a Muggle airport, and on no day more than today, when she pushes through the crowds and rolls over someone's foot with the pastel blue case. She thinks about Neville, and how much she'll miss him while she's away.

"You will be back for Harry's wedding, won't you?" he asked her last night, and she nodded and promised she would. She wouldn't miss Ginny's wedding for anything. Maybe when she got back, she'd even start planning her own wedding. But everytime Neville hinted at marriage, it gave Luna a strange restless feeling that she couldn't quite place. She didn't quite want to get married yet. She wanted her and Neville to go on their world tour first, see some sights, _then_ settle down and get married.

Luna mentally shakes herself as she reaches her department. Marriage isn't something she needs to worry about yet, considering Neville hasn't even proposed, and it's certainly not something to worry about today. She hardly had any sleep last night; she was so excited about the trip.

She clunks the suitcase into her office, looks down at the desk where a pile of memos usually wait for her attention. There are none there today, but there is a man, seated behind her desk as though he owns it. For a moment, Luna wonders if she has the wrong room; it's the sort of dippy thing she does on a daily basis. But no, there's her name on the desk plaque, Luna Lovegood. She frowns.

"Excuse me" she clears her throat; the man looks up from his newspaper, "You're sitting at my desk"

"I know" the man looks bemused also as he rises from his seat, "I was told to wait here for the portkey to be ready. Disapparating to Berlin?"

Luna's frown deepens, "You're going too?"

"Yes. I'm a reporter. They want you to do the observing for your department and me to do the article in the Prophet. I'm Rolf" he holds out his hand. Luna lets go of the handle of her suitcase and shakes it, still looking wary.

"They told me there was only one position available"

"Of course they did. Don't want to distract you by letting you bring your husband along, do they?"

"Boyfriend" Luna corrects, though she hates that silly little word, "And I suppose not. But they should have just _said_ that. I don't like lies"

"It's not lying. It's manipulating the truth" Rolf retorts. He has a handsome face, strong jawed, and dark golden hair. He wears glasses and keeps pushing them up his nose. He's dressed casually, in Muggle clothes like they were asked, a beige shirt and jeans. He looks friendly, a little eccentric, and far too cheerful for the lateness of the hour. She feels like she should be in bed, not standing here trying to get acquainted with a man she's never met before and has no desire to travel with.

"Lying is lying" she shrugs, then holds out her hand to shake his again, "I'm Luna"

"That's right. Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter's friend. Heroine of the Second Wizarding War"

"I prefer Luna. Just Luna" she doesn't take the bait of the joke, and Rolf's face falls a little. He gestures to the glowing portkey.

"You ready?"

"Of course"

* * *

The next night, once they've settled into their hotel and had some sleep, Rolf asks Luna if she wants to have dinner, because they don't really know each other at all and they've got to spend the next month together.

"Don't remind me" Luna mutters after she's given her answer and he's walked away. Something about Rolf makes her nervous. But she won't let him spoil the convention for her. She already loves it here in Berlin, and an unexpected associate isn't going to change that.

She walks out onto the balcony to phone Neville on the ugly little mobile. The night is beautiful in Berlin, something she didn't really have a chance to notice last night. She's hoping to go and visit some of the famous Germanic wizarding settlements while she's here, but with Rolf around pleasing herself might become a lot more difficult.

Neville picks up on the first ring, "Luna! You got there okay?"

"It's a portkey, Neville, it's not dangerous. I'm fine" there's a smile in her voice, because his voice always makes her happy, "How are you?"

"Fine. I got fitted for my new dress robes today, for the wedding. I got blue, to match that dress you bought"

"Great idea" she hesitates, "You're not lonely?"

"Not yet. How's Germany?"

"Beautiful" she sighs, long and lingering. She can feel Neville smiling.

"Good. You'll have more to tell me tomorrow, I expect, once the convention's kicked off"

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it"

"That's great, Luna. You'll call tomorrow?"

"Of course I will" her voice grows soft, "I miss you, Neville"

"I miss you too. Like you wouldn't believe. But have a good night, and I'll speak with you tomorrow"

"Bye, Neville. Speak soon"

It is only when Luna hangs up that she realises she didn't tell him about Rolf.


End file.
